


royal summons

by shadowcat500



Series: Plaguetober 2020 [18]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Plague Doctors, Plaguetober 2020, Trust, do you like characters having utter trust in each other?, then BOY do i have a story for you!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27087256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowcat500/pseuds/shadowcat500
Summary: Crocus and Nendril prepare to go to the palace to treat a young noble.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: Plaguetober 2020 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948417
Kudos: 1





	royal summons

**Author's Note:**

> 18/10 Royal

“But how sick is sick?”

The household of two is swept up in a rush, the contents of their chest of clothes currently strewn over the bedroom floor as they rummage through for their nicest clothes. (The results have come in at Crocus’s blue cloak and black hat, and Nendril’s pale green cloak and good boots.) 

“I don’t know, I swear I was about to make the messenger face Tayki’s wrath till I remembered the messenger rule and decided I’m casting Tayki’s wrath on the palace physician for not thinking to tell us how sick the patient was.”

Crocus pauses his attempts to fit all the herbs they may need and the leech jar into the same doctor’s bag. “You were going to set them on fire? I was going to put senna extract in their tea. That’s what I’m trying to fit this Astronomae-damned bottle in this Kos-forsaken bag for, at least.” He resumes his less-than-successful attempts until Nendril offers him another bag, which he takes with a muttered “Thanks.”

“It’s probably the plague, correct?”

“It’s what’s been going around, so I’m guessing yes. That’s why I’m taking the stuff for that bloodfruit concoction that’s supposed to keep the patient kicking for a little longer. What are you bringing?”

“Measuring cups, bloodletting stuff, miniature stove-boiler thing. You know, the little pot you csn light a fire in, and put a pan on top of to boil?”

“Ah, that thing. Travelling stove, I think. Can’t believe we’ve never used it before.”

The can-shaped stove goes into Nendril’s bag, nestled by the measuring jug, the scales, the weights for the scales and half-a-dozen jars of miscellaneous herbs that couldn’t fit in Crocus’ bag.

“They’re sending horses for us, right?”

“Yes, they’ll arrive at around noon.”

“How many times have I asked that, again?”

“That marks the eighth.”

***

It’s not long before everything they may need has been forced into the two bags, and they start waiting by the front door in uniform. Crocus has pulled a book on past plagues out from the shelves and is reading the same page over and over again. Nendril takes a curious look at the page and finds it’s the one on the blood-plague from eight centuries ago.

“How long til they arrive?”

“From the looks of the sky, I’d say…” Nendril takes a glance out the window. “Around half-an-hour?”

Crocus nods and goes back to what appears to be an attempt to memories the page, and leaves Nendril to his watch for whoever may come to pick them up.

“Are you nervous?”

Crocus glances up from his reading again. “Huh?”

“Are you-”

“Nervous?” He pauses, staring off into the ceiling. “Yeah, I think so. Not every day you get called into the palace.”

“I think the last time I interacted with royalty was when I got kicked out from Redleaf.”

“Is this random commentary or a subtle attempt to ask for comfort?”

Nendril raises up two gloved fingers.

Crocus goes to put his arms around him but pauses around halfway, arms outstretched in a clear attempt to ask ‘is this ok?’.

Nendril nods, and Crocus embraces him properly in a tight squeeze. “It’s not gonna be like that. If they kick us out for failing to save their kid, we can always run. Steal a horse and ride back here, take our stuff and find another village far away from here. But it’s _not_ gonna happen like that. And it’s not gonna happen like Redleaf happened for you either.”

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t— do you trust me?”

Wholeheartedly. Absolutely. To the end of the world. “Yes.”

“Then trust me, even if you can’t trust fate.”

There’s a knock on the door and the two doctors spring apart, arms abruptly lowering. Nendril ducks for his bag as Crocus slides the book back onto the shelf.

“Are you ready?” Crocus voice is light as ever, but with the solid determination of a professional.

Nendril smiles behind the mask. “As I’ll ever be.”

They open the door and step out together, ready to take on whatever may face them on the other side.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my [ tumblr](https://existentialcrisisetcetera.tumblr.com/tagged/zach%20writes)!
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated!


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